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Statewide, the number of people killed in crashes has increased from 2011 but is the third lowest on record, the state Department of Transportation said Monday.

A press release issued by the department said that 1,310 people died in crashes in the state, an increase of 24 people from 2011.

The lowest recorded number of fatalities was 1,256 in 2009, PennDOT said.

Locally, the number of people killed on state roads has also increased.

In Schuylkill County in 2012, 33 people died.

That's an increase of 14 people from 2011, according to information from Sean Brown, spokesman for District 5, Allentown.

"While highway fatalities increased last year, we're encouraged that historically, deaths on our roadways are trending downward. However, our highway safety mission will continue," PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch said. "Each life lost on our highways is someone's relative or loved one, and we keep that in the forefront of our minds when we pursue engineering, education and enforcement tactics aimed at keeping our roads safe."

PennDOT reports there were 124,062 crashes on roads in the state, which is 1,260 fewer than in 2011 and 20,480 fewer than 15 years ago.

Fatalities involving drivers ages 16 and 17 decreased to 44 in the state, from 66 in 2011. Just 15 years ago, that number was at 133.

Crashes involving drivers using phones decreased by 56 people to 1,096 for 2012. There were eight fatalities among the drivers using phones during a crash in 2011.

The state credited a texting while driving ban and new driving regulations for younger adults with decreases in those categories.

Another statistic for crashes involved distracted drivers. Fifty seven people died in 2012, two fewer than in 2011, as a result of distracted driving.

Fatalities involving drunk driving decreased by 14 people to 377 in 2012, which is the lowest in more than 10 years.

People who died after hitting guide rails also decreased in 2012 to 137, from 162 the year before.

Red light crash deaths decreased to 21, from 33 in 2011.

In the state, 32 more people died (for a total of 276) among drivers who were 65 and older than in 2011.

Pedestrian deaths also increased to 168, up from 149 in 2011.

A breakdown of crash statistics for Schuylkill County in 2011 shows five people died because they were not wearing seat belts but that number increased to 20 in 2012, according to an email from Brown.

Ron Young, a spokesman for District 5, Allentown, said wearing seat belts is important.

"Every occupant in a vehicle has to be restrained. Not using a seat belt puts you in jeopardy," he said.

He did not want to speculate why more people do not use seat belts.

"The combination of lap/shoulder seat belts, when used, reduces the risk of fatal injury to front seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent. For light truck occupants, seat belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 60 percent and moderate-to-critical injury by 65 percent," Young said.

"All passengers should wear a seat belt whenever riding in a motor vehicle - even for short distances. Three out of four crashes occur within 25 miles of home," Young wrote in an email.

The number of deaths from aggressive driving crashes also increased in the county from 9 in 2011 to 17 in 2012, and deaths because of single vehicle crashes due to drivers running off the road to 23, up from 9 in 2011. Other details state that 13 people died in 2012 as a result of hitting trees, up from 4 in 2011.

The news was not all bad for the county. As an example, distracted driver crashes decreased from three in 2011 to zero in 2012, according to the email.

Brown said many factors account for the deaths.

"Lowering fatalities on the highway is something PennDOT strives for," he said Monday.

The department has invested $50 million in the last five years for improvements regarding safety at approximately 4,000 locations. About $20 million annually is invested for safety education and enforcement efforts in the state, PennDOT said.

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